Japanese Train culture
Alike Singapore, in Japan, trains are a way of life, and the psychology of train culture is fascinating to be part of and observe. Having been to Tokyo recently, I witnessed a series of advertisements that Tokyo Metro have been running, and found the advertisements which are written in Japanese and translated in English, quite striking and amusing.
The poster ads are part of a monthly manner campaign, utilizing bold , cartoon like depictions of antisocial behaviors train riders should avoid doing. These posters provide outsiders like us a glimpse into Japanese culture. Everyone knows that the Japanese are the politest people in the world. But did we know that it was considered rude for a woman to put on makeup on the train? Or for someone to make a phone call while riding on the train? Definitely not. This is because Japanese train culture differs greatly from Singapore’s, and in Singapore, all these acts are deemed absolutely acceptable and common.
Apparently, it is considered a violation of public etiquette to answer a phonecall in public places, and considered to be rude. Most Japanese put their phone to ‘manner’ mode (which in our case probably means ‘silent’ mode) in order not to be annoying to others, and to avoid embarrassment on the train.
Also, putting on makeup on the train is considered to be entirely rude. Most older Japanese are disgusted by the sight of it, and find the strong smell and ensuing particulates of beauty products that linger around in an enclosed space unbearable.
However, for people unfamiliar to this form of Japanese ‘Train Culture’, we might find these set of rules telling us how to act slightly unreasonable.
This might be due to our culture being more individualistic compared to the Japanese culture. We believe that we have the right and freedom to act the way we want to, even in public places. There is nothing wrong with applying makeup on the train. Many would comment “If the men find it an eyesore, then don’t look la!”
However, the Japanese culture does not deem this to be the right way and believe that it is right to subordinate personal goals for the good of others.
What are your opinions of Japanese Train culture? Do you agree with it, or do you still prefer Singapore’s?
Funfact: It is interesting that the poster boy(literally) in the first poster shown above is a young dude wearing low gangsta jeans. STEREOTYPE! It would seem that manners are slipping among the Japanese youths, and the artist was probably trying to depict a Shibuya boy, where being rude is part of their identity. The shibuya boys and girls often purposely commit acts deemed to be ‘rude’ such as playing their music out loud and dancing to it.
Credits:
http://tastymiso.com/tokyo-metro-advertisements
http://www.reddit.com/r/japan/comments/daf50/please_do_it_at_home_make_up_on_the_train/
Brightest Little Firefly In Her Jar 
The posters amused me. I actually quite like them. i think singapore could do with some of them, definitely. think the mobile phone ones. i get very annoyed when im on the train/bus and am able to hear the person next to me talking on his mobile phone….through my headphones. and my headphones do block out some ambient noise somemore. the headers are quite funny too. stalking? rape?? the japs have a pretty good sense of humor.
if those measures were really to work in japan, i would very much prefer their train culture to ours. but their peak hour squeeze is madness and not to be trifled with, so i wouldnt choose the japanese system over ours anytime soon.
But I think despite all these posters being placed up, the Japanese people are too polite to confront anyone violating the rules and halt them from doing so. That is why such posters are so prevalent, and to make the people violating them ashamed of themselves. Also, their ability to exaggerate a simple issue of playing on the platform, as raping, is indeed very amusing!
WOW. I didn’t know that Japan had a certain ‘train etiquette’. There is just so much of a difference between the Singapore and Japan culture. Another vast difference is of our ignorance of when somebody blasts their loud music when riding on public transport. Nobody, or rarely, goes up to the dude and says: ‘Hey, could you lower down the volume of your music?’. Also, the advertisements really do catch one’s eye. Not only the colours used are striking, but also the misuse of the English language.
Singapore already has those embrarrassing comic strips on the bus and trains! Have you seen them before? On the contrary, I wouldn’t like for those posters to appear on our trains, and I don’t like the idea of having those comic strips either. Somehow, I feel that it is depicting a generalized degraded view of our society, and only serves to showcase our “kiasu-ism”. What would foreigners our tourists who come to Singapore then think of us? Maybe the next time someone sitting next to you is a nuisance, you should just tell them in their face! HAHA
Maybe if we could have a mix of Jap and Singapore culture will be good. The make up part is quite embarrassing to do so even in Singapore i suppose and listening to music loudly is also quite rude even here , i feel.As for the rest, its already considered committing a crime. In singapore, it would be quite difficult to put your phone in silent mode, because what if you need to be contacted urgently and you dont happen to feel your vibration. i think it will be quite a torture for us to miss calls or text messages.
We could definitely use these posters to some extend. It is quirky and better then the irritating dim sum dollies train is coming. It is noisy and makes the passengers more likely not to follow what they intended them to. Manners in first place begins at home and it is a pity still we as government must educate them.
Hahaha! this is really funny! i dont really get the ‘rape’ poster???
Culture is so interesting. the Japanese culture emphasizes on respect on many levels, to others, to yourself and so on. In fact, it is due to the attitude that they have towards people not respecting someone else’s personal space.
and i just realised that those posters have like the normal japanese people looking like scary stalkers. i guess they just see the ‘rebels’ doing that which is absolutely distasteful.
this is so interesting, shanise!
Omoshiroi jane,ka. あなたがここにある日本文化の重要な部分は何かについての面白い、興味深い作品です (Anata ga koko ni aru Nippon bunka no jūyōna bubun wa nani ka nitsuite no omoshiroi, kyōmibukai sakuhindesu.)
Ok, enough japanese, yes?
The japanese have made some of the best adds ever, remember the gatsby ones, classic! I also see nigel in one of the posters, hmm.
From a communications perspective, japan is a culture in which art and drawing is very highly valued so the use of graphical images instead of texts is to appeal to this very japanese-centric mindset.